Promise
by CookieCruncher
Summary: "We shouldn't make promises we can't keep!" Hermione teaches her family how promises should be kept and not broken. One-Shot.


**For months I haven't returned at fanfiction so I'm sorry. Yeah. I miss reading reviews so, review, please?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I am not J K Rowling and I am not the creator of Pottermore. Do review your Pottermore accounts and I shall add you when I create my own :)**

Hermione sat on the living room couch, engaged in the current book she was reading when all of a sudden…

POKE.

"Aah!" she yelled, surprised. Putting the book down her lap, steel grey eyes met honey hazel. "Oh, it's just you." She gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Mommy, Where's Daddy? What's taking him so long?" Little 5-year-old Scorpius Malfoy asked. "To tell you the truth, Scorp, Mommy doesn't know either." Hermione put the book beside her and let Scorpius sit in her lap.

"Hold on, shouldn't you be in bed?" She queried. "You promised me Daddy would tuck me in. And you said we shouldn't make promises we can't keep. So Daddy's tucking me in." Scorpius gave a mischievous grin.

She looked at her son with sad eyes. _Draco really should spend some time with us, _She thought.

The Malfoy Manor's front door creaked open and a head of sleeked white-blond hair poked in. "Daddy!" Scorpius jumped off Hermione's lap and rushed to hug his father's legs. "Hey, Scorp. What're you doing still up?" Draco picked up his mini-clone after setting his things at the nearest coffee table.

"Mommy said, you're tucking me in. You will, won't you?" Scorpius looked up with those identical, doting eyes. "Of course," Draco nodded, smiling. Hermione couldn't help but smile at this rare moment they were sharing right now.

Soon, the little one was tucked in bed and sleeping while his parents were at the kitchen. Draco was eating the leftovers from dinner while Hermione sat with him, watching. 

"You know, Scorpius misses you a lot." She informed, trying to make small talk. "Judging his enthusiasm a while ago, I wouldn't disagree." He chuckled. "What took you so long anyway?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, you see, I was handling papers the Ministry had to finish. And you remember Astoria Greengrass? Yeah, I passed by her on my way outside the place. She's changed, really." Draco told her. 

Draco Malfoy was an employed worker in the Ministry of Magic. He was the Head of the International Magic Office of Law and quite frankly, being in that department is quite a handful.

Hermione Malfoy was a stay-at-home mother, who got to spend more time with Scorpius. Her persistence of being a Healer stopped when Scorpius became part of the family. And she doesn't regret stopping her career. 

"What's going in your mind, love? Is something the matter?" Draco eyed his wife intently as he ate another spoonful of stewed vegetables. "Not really, no." She shook her head. "Oh, right, before I forget, I won't be coming home early this couple of weeks. The Ministry's files have been messily rearranged by some charm cast differently. It's been an awfully hectic week so I'll be quite late." Draco finished the remains of his food. 

"Oh, really?" Hermione's voice had a hint of sadness which she tried to hide. Draco, however, noticed still. "Don't worry, love. After 2 weeks tops, I'll be back by 6 PM sharp. Promise." 

[…]

Days stretched into weeks and these 3 weeks felt like 3 months as Draco grew busier and busier by the day. Hermione barely got to see him seeing as he arrives and leaves at the times of her sleep. There were times that he even slept in his office and when it was the days of his off, all he did was lock himself in the Manor's library. 

There was also a time when his anger exploded right on his own son. 

"Daddy! Let's go play Quidditch! Please?" Scorpius begged for the nth time. "I said no, Scorpius. I'm busy. Some other time." Draco waved him off. "But Daddy-" "No, Scorpius." 

Hermione entered the library to pick up her son when she heard Scorpius' pleading voice. "You barely spend time with us! And you promised me we'll play when you're done. And Mommy said we shouldn't make promises we can't keep!" Scorpius pleaded. "I promised you we'll play when I'm done. But am I done? NO!" Draco boomed.

"Daddy, please?" the 5-year-old asked softly. :For the last time Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy, I will not play Quidditch with you until I am done! Now go out before I hex you, you annoying little brat!" the father stood up and pointed his wand at his own son. 

"All I ever asked was to play," came the little one's reply. Tears streaming down his cheeks, Scorpius ran outside. Draco looked up and met Hermione's eyes. The cold, uninviting pair of steel grey eyes were back. And all Hermione could do was run off to chase her son. _The old Draco's back. He promised me he wouldn't change._

[…]

"I need to have a word with you, Draco." Hermione stormed up to the library and angrily glared at him. "Not now, Hermione. Some other time." His usual phrase. Draco didn't remove his eyes off his parchment and quill. "When? When you're done? Honestly, Draco, when have you even been done? Merlin, I can't believe you have the nerve to saunter off with Astoria while your family is miserably waiting for you to be done." Hermione raged.

At that, he looked up. "What is this about?" He irritably asked. She threw a copy of The Daily Prophet on his desk, spilling ink all over it.

On the headline, a picture of Draco and Astoria were commented by Rita Skeeter. "Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass, together?" The picture shown was the two laughing like old friends. 

"Oh you very well know that Skeeter woman's a rubbish writer." Draco shook his head. "This happened on a Friday. Friday when you told me you slept on your office to do more work. Friday when you told me you were too busy!" Hermione demanded.

"Look, Astoria-" "Astoria, Astoria, Astoria, is she everything you think about? Do you even think that the Friday you went out with Astoria was the same Friday Scorpius waited for you just to say sorry? The poor boy's scared of you now, Draco! Your own son!" She raged. 

"Mommy?" came a little voice from the doorway. Scorpius clutched his chest tight as his knees trembled. At once, Hermione ran up to her son and held him close. Draco stood there, not knowing what to do. "Mommy, help." Scorpius fainted. And with a sad stare at Draco, Hermione Disapparated to St. Mungo's, leaving a flabbergasted Malfoy behind. 

[…]

"Where's Scorpius Malfoy?" Draco breathed at the receptionist. "L-Level 4, Room A-A-A5, sir," The receptionist stuttered. He dashed up the stairs and to the room where his son was.

_The poor boy's scared of you now, Draco! Your own son!_

The thought kept on repeating on his mind too much. 

_I'm a monster to my own family. I'm a monster to my wife, my son. _Draco thought angrily. 

He reached his destination and he opened room A5 to see Hermione sitting on a recliner chair, crying. She looked up with puffy red eyes. "What's wrong?" Draco asked. "Seriously? Now, of all times, you decide to ask what's wrong? Where were you when I wanted to tell you what's wrong?" Hermione glared at him. "I just don't know the situation!" he demanded. 

"Of course you wouldn't know!" she scoffed. "How would you? From the Prophet? From gossiping women? From Astoria?" she shot. "I'm sorry!" he fought back. "Sorry doesn't change a thing, Draco! Do you think a simple sorry would change everything that's wrong? Sorry won't change Scorpius' condition anytime soon! Sorry won't be able to fix your son's heart!" She nearly shouted.

"His-his heart?" Draco's own heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. "Yes, his heart! The little boy who's scared of you! You should hear how much he promises to make it up to you for being an 'annoying little brat'! He's got severe heart damage due to an unknown spell that was cast when he was playing outside." Hermione's legs weakened as she fell on the floor and cried once again.

All Draco could do was take his wife in his arms as he comforted her. "He needs a heart donor by the end of the month before it's all too late." She quivered. "I'm donating it." He said firmly. "Wh-what? N-no!" Hermione pulled away and stared at his eyes. "I have to. I promised you from the day he was born I'll do whatever it takes to let him be the best Malfoy out there. I promised."

[…]

"So your big brother Scorpius and Daddy Draco never made it." Hermione held the little boy's hand tight while they stood in front of the grave of the two older important boys in Hermione's life.

"Are they in heaven now?" the little one asked with those shining, gray eyes he inherited from his father. "Yep, and I promise you, they're watching you from up there." Hermione pointed at the blue sky.

"Hi Daddy! Hi big brother! I miss you, I love you! And I promise I'll take care of Mommy for you. And I promise you I won't break my promise." He waved at the sky.

"Because…" Hermione started. 

"We shouldn't make promises we can't keep! I love you, Mommy." Little Draco grinned.

"Forever?"

"Forever!" 

"Promise?" 

"Promise." 

[…]

**Okay. That's all. Hope you liked it!**

**Oh and by the way, I felt really guilty because some of you have put alerts and favorites and I've seen them through my Yahoo and I couldn't help but think, "Damn it, they're torturing me." So there. :)**


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